In many industrial laser applications, an external laser generator generates a high power laser beam that is delivered through tubes and mirrors to a laser delivery robot. Examples of such systems include high power CO.sub.2 lasers used in automated cutting or welding operations.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example prior art system. A laser beam generator (not shown) generates a laser beam 12 which travels down delivery tube 10 to beam bender 18. Beam bender 18 contains a mirror mounted in such a manner as to deflect the laser beam 12 down tube 36 to laser delivery robot 38, which may be any known type of laser delivery robot commonly available to those skilled in the art. Reference 14 designates a HeNe laser generator unit, which generates a HeNe laser beam concentric with the axis of tube 10. The HeNe laser beam is a low power visible frequency laser beam that is used for alignment purposes of the beam bender 18 and the laser delivery robot 38.
The HeNe laser beam 14 and beam bender 18 are supported on support unit 31 as shown. The support unit 31 has a base plate 44 mounted to a 1.5 inch steel plate 46 to which the laser delivery robot 38 is also mounted. A vertical riser 32 is mounted to base plate 44 and braced with gussets 40 and 42, which are welded substantially in the center of the side-walls of vertical riser 32. On top of vertical riser 32, horizontal support arm 30 is supported by gusset 34, which is welded to the center of the side-wall of vertical riser 32 and to the center of the facing down side of horizontal support arm 30, as shown. Mounting plate 28 is attached to the end of horizontal support arm 30. A support head 25 has a plate 26, which is attached to plate 28 at the end of horizontal arm 30. Two gussets 24 (only one shown) support support plates 20 and 22 to which beam bender 18 is mounted and to which plate 16, which carries the HeNe unit 14, is also mounted. The HeNe unit 14, beam bender 18 and laser delivery robot 38 are all well known to those skilled in the art.